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Anonymous

Chuong- There have been many surveys which confirm that 78% of drivers commute less than 40 miles each day and return home to recharge each night.

The 40 mile E-Flex range was chosen so that 78% of driving could be all electric while keeping the battery size, weight and COST to a minimum.

A 40 mile all electric range with a range extender generator is balancing in the sweet spot. Iâm sure that there will be an option to purchase more batteries to replace the range extender with for those who want it.

First they need LOTS of field testing on the new batteries to be absolutely certain that they will last a minimum of 10 years and will be completely safe. If only ONE family burns up in a battery fire the following litigation could kill the electric cars for years to come. Big Oil would love that!

Doug, relax...if someone wants to drive a Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon etc., then that is their preference. I haven't been to enthused about vehicles like this until I read about the Volt concept. Sounds like a great idea, and certainly user-friendly.

Anonymous

7 Months Ago

Don't wait for battery improvements, 20-40 mile range is enough for many people. The range extender is great. If I need to go further or carry a load I will take my truck. With an electric car 95% of my driving would be gas free.

Anonymous

7 Months Ago

GM had best be building this and quick, with the advent of fuel prices rising to the 4 dollar a gallon range soon. They need to build something like the German-made Loremo which weighs in the thousand pound range and will get around 150 MPG with a 1.0 liter turbo diesel. Then GM could truly compete in a global market. It seems as if they like to keep all such products away from American consumers, but they're all over Europe!

Anonymous

7 Months Ago

I personally would much rather have the EV1 than the Volt. I like the styling of the EV1. The Volt looks like a muscle car. The first buyers of this type of vehicle will be the average mom and dad not the muscle car guy.

The EV1, had it not been scrapped could have been up to a 150-200 mile range on a single charge with quick charging as an option.

I would much rather have an EV1 for my daily commute than wasting energy on the gas engine in the Volt. GM is going to shoot themselves in the foot AGAIN!

Tesla motors already gets an average range of 125-150 miles on their all electric car. It looks better, performs better and is being sold now. They even have the 1000 cars for 2008 already sold.

GM should just take out the plans for the EV1 version 2 with the NiMh batteries and build the damn thing. It WILL sell.

As for speed, you foget that a modified EV1 set the land speed record for electric vehicles at 183 MPH. The EV1 was artifically limited to 80 MPH. The regular production model had a top speed of over 150 MPH without the artifical limit.

Had their been no limiter the average cop probably would not be able to catch an EV1.

Also remember the EV1 had the lowest coefficient of drag of ANY consumer vehicle EVER MADE including today. The car was entirely silent below 30 MPH except for a small whine from gearing connected to the motor.

I would much prefer to have a near silent car that one with an engine running.

The EV1 is needed NOW much more than the Volt is. The Volt is a dead concept already. Tesla Motors is already way ahead on technology and has already hinted that other companies are licensing their drive train. Nissan has announced all electric cars within 5 years that have at least 150 mile range.

- Chevy Volt is designed to be able to go 120mph. In truth, there are many places around the world where people regularly drive over 80mph. (Connecticut is just one example. *lol*) But essentially what this means is that there is more motor in the Volt than the EV1.

- Evaluate the weight involved. Realize that the Chevy Volt weighs more with half the battery volume and MUCH lighter batteries. (LiIon batteries are way lighter than old Lead Acid or NiMH). My guess is there is a lot more car there in the Volt. I never got to drive an EV1. But it always looked rather light on the build. Kind of like an old Hyundai or Kia. That's fine for many who just want an environmental friendly car. But many consumers won't buy a car if the build quality is low. The Volt is being designed to be a mass-appeal vehicle, as such a little bit more is going to into the body than the EV1.

- Chevy Volt, styling is also a factor. EV1 was designed mainly for aerodynamics with less emphasis on aesthetic appeal. The Chevy Volt is being designed so that someone who usually would go for a Mustang might even find it appealing.

These compromises may reduce efficiency but they will likely increase marketibility. What does that mean? A better chance of commercial success. And if they can get the Chevy Volt production ramped up to marketable levels then they can later release a budget conscience more efficient "Prius/Insight" style model that will have less aesthetic and auto appeal but even higher energy efficiency.

They'll be able to do that because the technology involved at that point will be being produced in large enough quantities.

Everyone is demonizing GM as killing the electric car. In truth, that is a very false accusation. The Chevy Volt shows that GM "learned from the electric car".

Anonymous

7 Months Ago

Yes for grocies Doug. But have you ever tried going to home depot in a little compact, and then loading it up? I agree most people don't need SUV/Trucks but when you do have one and every week someone asks you if they can borrow your truck for XYZ then you will understand they have their place and usefullness. Now if we could incorporate this great VOLT technology on a Chevy Silverado, then we are talking!

Anonymous

7 Months Ago

I'm excited about the Chevy Volt except for the 40 mile range. If the EV1 with a lead acid battery had a range of 60-90 miles and the second generation with the NiMh battery had a 75-150 miles range,
it seems to me that the LiIon battery should have a longer range.
Is GM still protecting the interest of the oil cartel?

Anonymous

7 Months Ago

Your numbers on the EV1 are off. Not all EV1s where lead acid. Most of the gen2 where Nickle-Metal with a range of 140 miles. 0 to sixty was 7.5 seconds. Recharging was four hours or less. Quick recharging was tested and worked, but was never implemented. If you are going to post something like this, at least get the numbers and the story correct.

Anonymous

7 Months Ago

While I think the Volt is a great step in the right direction, I'm almost convinced we could do one better and just convert all existing vehicles to electric with the Lithium batteries,300 mile plus range etc. It'd be the most practical solution. If charging stations were made as readily available as gas stations are, we could end our foriegn oil dependance entirely. If it weren't for big oil government we could live in a cleaner, peaceful electric world, with zero ties to the Arab oil world.